In this episode of the Local Government News Roundup:
Councillors nationwide unite on electric vehicle advocacy; a Victorian MP wants administrators appointed to Greater Geelong Council; more council projects impacted as a major construction company goes into voluntary administration; Sydney councils join forces to tackle the affordable housing shortage; Penrith’s new General Manager announced; a councillor resignation; and a Victorian council gets the A Current Affair treatment.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government.
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Transcript (with story links where available):
Hi, this is Chris Eddy, coming to you from the land of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation, with the latest from the Local Government News Roundup.
On the podcast today:
Councillors nationwide unite on electric vehicle advocacy;
A Victorian MP wants administrators appointed to Greater Geelong Council;
More council projects impacted as a major construction company goes into voluntary administration;
Sydney councils join forces to tackle the affordable housing shortage;
Penrith’s new General Manager announced; a councillor resignation; and a Victorian council gets the A Current Affair treatment;
That’s all ahead in the latest update from the Local Government News Roundup.
Thanks for joining me for today’s podcast – brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
Heading today’s edition, 120 mayors and councillors from across Australia have issued a joint statement calling on the Federal Government to supercharge the supply of affordable electric vehicles.
All states and territories are represented in the statement, which says local government efforts to encourage the switch to electric vehicles is being hampered by a lack of supply and the need for stronger federal policy.
Dr Portia Odell from the Cities Power Partnership explains what the group is wanted the government to do:
Grab 1 and 2
Dr Odell says regional and rural communities are particularly keen to see action.
Grab 3
The joint statement was convened by the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership program, which supports local governments on their journey to net-zero emissions.
Source: Cities Power Partnership Joint Statement
A Victorian MP says she has grave governance concerns about Greater Geelong City Council, and has approached the local government minister about appointing administrators.
Member for Geelong Christine Couzens has told the ABC she is shocked and disappointed about plans for a restructure and a reported 19 redundancies announced just prior to Easter.
The proposed restructure comes at a time when the council is under observation by two state appointed monitors, and after concerns about the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive Officer were raised by the Local Government Inspectorate.
An Inspectorate investigation is understood to be ongoing.
Acting CEO Karina Phyland said a number of very difficult decisions will need to be made as the city’s 2023/24 budget is being prepared, and that a restructure was part of the work that councillors had instructed her to continue.
Source: ABC News
Work has been paused on the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct as a result of the Lloyd Group going into voluntary administration.
CEO Bernie O’Sullivan said it was the only council project to be impacted.
He said the Council is committed to finding a resolution as soon as possible, so construction on the priority project can continue
Source: Macedon Ranges Shire Council
At Frankston, four projects have been impacted.
They include two pavilions, the Jubilee Park Stadium, and a Healthy Futures Hub at Seaford.
The council has reached out to sporting and community groups affected by the situation, to keep them updated as discussions about a resolution progress.
Source: Frankston City Council
A proposed overhead power transmission line which would cut through the heart of Northern Grampians Shire has drawn a firm response from the Council, which wants government and energy agencies to respond directly to local concerns.
The proposal came to light in late February, raising fears that the scale of the infrastructure would have a substantial and direct impact on prime agricultural land.
Mayor Kevin Irwin said the period allowed for public input is too short.
He said the council’s submission, lodged last week, raises a raft of unanswered questions from the community that need to be addressed before the project proceeds further.
The VNI West project is one of four supported in Victoria under the Australian Government’s Rewiring the Nation Plan, which seeks to fast-track renewable energy development.
Source: Northern Grampians Shire Council
Now in today’s Victorian Briefs:
Cr Greg McAdam has resigned from Southern Grampians Shire Council because of ill health.
Cr McAdam was serving his second term on the council.
A countback process will be initiated by the VEC to fill the extraordinary vacancy.
Source: Southern Grampians Shire Council
The City of Casey is celebrating a win at Cricket Victoria’s annual Community Cricket Awards.
Casey Stadium was named the Indoor Facility of the Year.
The state of the art City of Casey facility is managed by YMCA Victoria, and hosted a number of national and international events last year, including the Indoor Cricket World Cup.
Source: City of Casey
Mornington Peninsula Shire Councillors have voted down a proposal to add funds to its budget for a CCTV camera trailer to help police catch hoon drivers.
Mayor Steve Holland expressed concerns about a cost shift from state government to local ratepayers when using his casting vote to defeat the proposal.
Source: Mornington Peninsula News
A youth resource centre in the City of Wyndham will receive a boost, through a $150,000 grant from the state government for a facility refurbishment.
The centre provides counselling and mental health support to young people aged 12 to 25. The funding is part of a government commitment to upgrade or develop place-based youth hubs in outer metropolitan Melbourne.
Source: Victorian Government
And in a first for Ballarat, the council is about to hold a Dog Day Pool Party, inviting residents to bring their dog for a one-off swim at the Eureka Pool.
The two hour event will mark the end of the outdoor pool season, and emulates similar events held by Greater Bendigo and Yarra Ranges councils.
Source: Ballarat City Council
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Getting some media attention this week is Moonee Valley City Council, which has been accused of incorrectly fining drivers who have used a local shopping centre as a shortcut.
A Current Affair aired the claims of a driver who said he did not stop or park his car at the Niddrie Central shopping centre, but has received parking infringements for overstaying the two hour limit.
The Council, which manages the parking on behalf of the shopping centre, uses automatic number plate recognition technology to monitor cars entering and exiting the park.
It said in a statement that there is no evidence supporting the claim that the driver drove through the centre without parking.
It has also cautioned motorists against taking shortcuts through private property, as the practice can be dangerous to pedestrians and other users.
Source: A Current Affair; Moonee Valley City Council
Now for some of the stories making local government news from around Australia this week.
Three Sydney councils are joining forces to tackle a shortage of affordable housing, which has led to an exodus of key workers from their areas.
The Australian has the exclusive story on how Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick Councils are pooling money, expertise and resources, starting with the development of a joint discussion paper.
The study is expected to identify publicly owned land that could be used for affordable housing developments and identify funding contributions from each of the councils.
A Woollahra council report said the joint council approach was needed as the state government’s approach to affordable housing has been ineffective.
Source: The Australian, 11-4-23
Penrith City Council has appointed its new general manager.
Director Corporate Services Andrew Moore has been promoted to the role, after 21 years in the organisation.
He commences in the role on 24th April after taking a short break.
Former GM Alan Stoneham has been filling the position on an interim basis since the departure of Warwick Winn last year.
Source: Penrith City Council
Tributes have flowed this week following the passing of the first woman to lead the Gold Coast City Council.
The Courier Mail reports that Betty Diamond, a former deputy mayor and acting mayor, died on Monday of natural causes at the age of 91.
She was first elected as an alderman in 1976, and served as Deputy Mayor from 1985 to 1988.
Source: Courier Mail, 11-4-23
The Local Government Association of Northern Territory has extended its condolences to the family and friends of the late Fay Miller OAM and welcomed news of a state funeral to be held in May.
Ms Miller was a former mayor of Katherine Town Council and a long term member of the LGANT Board. She was also a former NT parliamentarian, representing Katherine for five years in the early 2000s.
Ms Miller suffered from an incurable bone marrow cancer for several years, and passed away recently at the age of 75.
Source: Local Government Association Northern Territory
Another Australian first for the local government sector, with Lockyer Valley Regional Council in Queensland unveiling a new flood information portal.
The portal is the first flood information platform of its kind – providing immediate access for residents to detailed flood advice.
The platform was developed over several years with funding support from the Queensland Government.
The council says the portal allows landowners and developers to better understand flood constraints, and improve the quality and appropriateness of development proposals.
The free service is now online via the Council’s website.
Source: Lockyer Valley Regional Council
Briefly:
Goondiwindi Regional Council is stepping up its work to combat illegal rubbish dumping, with the installation of cameras in potential hotspots.
The cameras are equipped with advanced technology to detect suspicious activity and capture evidence to identify culprits.
Mayor Lawrence Springborg AM said it was hoped the cameras will act as a deterrent to illegal dumping.
Source: Goondiwindi Regional Council
A new machine that can produce up to 750 sandbags per hour has been unveiled by Blacktown City Council.
The $90,000 machine will help the council and the NSW SES prepare for future flooding events.
Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM said the new machine will make the process faster and safer for volunteers, who previously had to prepare sandbags manually.
Source: Blacktown City Council
At Coober Pedy in South Australia, 17 properties will go under the hammer to recover unpaid rates.
The properties include an unfinished dugout, and a vacant corner block in the town’s Main Street.
Realestate.com.au has the details.
Source: Realestate.com.au
In Leeton, a 47 year old man has landed in trouble after being seen allegedly stealing asphalt belonging to Leeton Shire Council.
It is alleged that he shovelled the asphalt into a number of buckets, before placing them in a utility to make his escape.
The Leeton Irrigator reports that police issued the man with a criminal infringement notice for the offence of larceny.
Source: The Irrigator, 12-4-23
Now for today’s International Spotlight:
Firstly to England, where a mother has won compensation from Lambeth Council over delays in finding wheel-chair accessible accommodation.
The Local Government Ombudsman has found that the council “badly let down” a family with a disabled child, who will never be able to stand up again because of the delays.
According to the BBC, a recommendation in 2019 from an occupational therapist that the family needed to be moved urgently due to the unsuitability of a council house was not acted on for three and a half years.
It meant that the child was unable to be positioned upright to eat, leaving them at risk of choking. The lack of space also meant the child had to be carried around the home, causing irreversible damage.
The council has accepted the findings of the ombudsman investigation and apologised to the family. It will pay £21K in compensation.
Source: BBC News
The City of New York has passed a new law banning the sale of guinea pigs.
The move is said to be in response to a surge in abandoned and surrendered guinea pigs over the past three years, after people bought them as pandemic companions without understanding the requirements to keep them.
Spectrum News has reported that the average number of surrendered guinea pigs has more than doubled since before the pandemic.
The new law has been welcomed by the city’s animal shelters.
Source: Spectrum News NY1
And in more animal related news out of New York, the Mayor has appointed the city’s new rat czar.
You might recall we reported on the advertising of the position some months back, and there were apparently several hundred applications.
The Mayor, Eric Adams, has been on a crusade to bring rat numbers under control as one of three pillars in a plan to make the city more liveable.
Gothamist.com reports on the appointment of Kathleen Corradi to the new position, bringing unique experience from managing the rat mitigation activities in the city’s public schools system.
She has been quoted as saying she has a long history with rats. She said, “You’ll be seeing a lot of me, and a lot less rats.”
In Nashville, TN, a move by state lawmakers to cut the size of the city’s Metropolitan Council in half has been paused by a court ruling.
Three judges have supported an argument that the changes are not in the public interest with a council election process already underway based on the existing structure of 40 council members.
According to NBC News, the ruling stymies an effort by Republican lawmakers to reduce the Democratic-leaning council numbers to 20, after blocking the Republican National Convention from being held in Nashville next year.
Source: NBC News
An update on the sagging lamp problem at the city of Wellington in New Zealand.
It has now been revealed that when it originally chose the street lamps, it failed to factor in wind or test the lamps under vibrating conditions.
Councillors have now been briefed on the extent of the issue, which will require the replacement of all 17,000 street lamps installed in 2017 – at a cost to the city of an estimated $6M.
17 of the lamps have fallen to the ground in the past four years, and approximately 600 have been fixed so far.
Source: Stuff.co.nz; Wellington City Council
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That’s the latest from the Roundup, recorded 14th April 2023.
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The Local Government News Roundup is recorded in the city of Greater Geelong, Victoria, on the land of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge the Wadawurrung People as the Traditional Owners of this Land, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
Until next time, thanks for listening, and bye for now.